Primary educational appliance



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Patented ct.. 23, i923.,

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HELEN "JOOD, OF CLEVELLND, OHO. Y

` PRIMARY ED''CATONAL MPLIANCE.

Application filed November 16, 1921.' Serial No. 515,688.

To all fio/7mm may concern:

Be it known that l, HELEN Woon, a citizen of the United States, residingat Cleveland, in the countyof Cuyahoga and State of Ohio. have inventedcertain new and useful improvements in Primary Educational lippliances,of which the following is a specification. Y

This invention relates to a primary educational appliance and has forits objectthe provision of a deviceA of this character wherewith thefundamental arithmetical operations may be objectively demonstrated tochildren, or primary pupils.

It is an authentic fact that the immature, or undeveloped mind is moresusceptible to material objects which present quantity, than it is tocharacters, such as figures, which have merely quantity significance,therefore the fundamental principles of quantity calculations arereadily grasped when demonstrated to a child by object lessons.

rlhe present invention provides for the development of quantity thinkingby exercising the senses of sight and touch. It enables the child toreadily conceive the relation of quantites by providing a materialobjective unit of a given size as a basis, or elementary unit1 and aseries of unitary objects of different sizes proportionate to theelementary unit. By proper arrangement of the unitary objects the pupilwill appreciate each member as a unit having its individual relativesize. ltmalres possible the combining of smaller units into a large unitwhole in such a manner that the pupil conceives the construction of thelarger unit. lt enables the pupil to analyze each unit, from one to anindefinite greater number, into its component units, or parts. |The useof the appliance also enables the primary, or child pupil, to understandAwhat component unit remains when another component unit is removed fromthe larger unit whole. and to readily see how a given larger unit wholevmay be resolved into its equalcomponent units, and to readily observewhat part the smaller unit is of the larger unit whole of which it isone or more of theV equal component parts. The appliance furtherprovides for the elimination of hap-hazard guessing, or finger countingon the part of a child pupil.

have devised an appliance of simple construction for convenientlydemonstrating, or accomplishing these objects. An embodi- "height,

ment of the said appliance-is illustratediin the accompanying drawingvwhich is made i part of the specification, and to facilitate theunderstanding of the appliance'l have employed similar referencecharacters to designate corresponding parts throughout the-ds scriptionand in said drawing.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view ofa rack use-d as a support for numerousblock-holders and the .blocks carried therein. y

Fig. 2 illustrates a number ofthe blockholders, and Fig. 3 shows avariety of blocks Y which are employed.` y

In the embodimentv ofl the invention as illustrated 1 represents asupport having a flat base element 1L on which is mounted an uprightrack which, for convenience, is pref- 1 i erably inclined backward fromthe base upward.This rack provides a Vseriesvof compartments, or.parallelvertical channels 1b, equally spaced by division members 1c.These channels are designed for the accommodation of a series of holderelementsV 2 of various lengths which may be made of light sheet metalof'channel formation open at the top, and closed at the bottom as shownatQa. rThe holders 2 provide carriers, or retainers for blocks 8 ofdifferent sizes,'asmore fully set forth hereinafter.

The blocks 8 are of uniformtransve'rse dimensionsi preferably square,but'are` of different lengths. An elementary unit block of apredetermined size being adopted, the length ofeach and is a certainproportion to the lengthof the elementary unit. For the purpose ofclarifying thel explanation, assume one -inch square as'thev elementaryunit. The present embodiment provides a capacity of twenty- Afour rackcompartmentsA of `anjeqiial height all the blocks k employed of saytwenty-four inches. lln. this insta-nce a total of eighty-'sevenbloclrsand twentyff Vfour holders are used. TheA holders range in height' fromone inch to and including twenty-fouriinches, while'the V.bloclrs are`i'ngseries as follows Twenty-four 1 inch high,

twelve 2 inches,eight 3 inches, siXLl inches,

five 5 inches, 'four 6 v and four 7 inches high,

three Sand three 9 inches,two each 10,511 and 12 inches, and one each of13,14, 15,16, i7, ie, i9, 2o,

Referring to that block 3" is threetimesl as long as 'block dotted linesdenote*A icov 21, 22, and Q4 linches in Y 3a. and that block Seiseight'times as long as block 3, The holders arelikewiseproporvdemonstrated by the arrangement or tioned, as shown in Fig. 2,'insequence multiples of the elementary unit,

rlhe blocks 3 are adapted to rit holders 2, and are displayed by arraithe holders in the rack l, as shown in ,1 i.

The primary stage of instruction by means of the improved applianceincludes the prevailing upon the child to arrange the blocks in theholders, or to build up, taire down, and compare various combinations.This is easily brought about as it is morev or less amusing to the chill. This amusement interests him so that it impresses on his mind theresults ot the dilterent combinations and these results are objectdemfnstiations of the fundamental arithmetical operations.

rlhe following are examples ot various operations..

The pupil arranges a 3 inch block beside a 3 inch holder and then places2 inch and a 1 inch block in the holder, this shoivs him that thecombined quantity ot the 2 inch unit and the l inch unit is equal to the3 inch unit, or that 2 and l equal (b) ln an 8 inch holder the pupilplaces a 5 inch block and a 3 in block, he then told to remove the 3inch block, and he observes that the 5 inch block remains, which denotesthat a 3 inch unit taken 'from an 8 inch u; f leaves a 5 inch unit, andthat 5 and 3 equal 8.

(0) A two inch unit is placed in a it) inch holder and the pupil tillsthe holder With other 2 inch units, he then that 5 ot the 2 inch unitscompletely till the l() inch holder, and therefore, is maden aware that5 times 2 equals l0,

(d) Removing' the 2 inch units which have been placed in the l0 inchholder, and separating them, the pupil is made to understand that the 10inches is made up ot 5 equal units, or 2 inch blocks, and that l0 may l,divided into 'tvos.

(e) Beside a 3 inch block the pupil places three l inch blocks in a 3inch holder, and observes 3 as a unit Whole, removing one ot the threeblocks he sees that he has taken l ot the Whole unit, and by removing'two of the blocks he has taken ot the Whole unit.

The above are but a teiv ot tie innumerable simple problems, or` primaryarithmetieal operations that may be objectively the blocks and holders.Various combina ions may be exhibited in the rack, Where comparisonsymay be made, andthe different operations explained by teachers toclasses, or individual pupils. f

lNhile the present embodiment ot the appliance provides for 24 holders,87 blocks,

'and a supportingrack 24 units high and having 24 compartments, it willbe understood that these nant-ities are arbitrar that 9 @n ref/res? thecapacity of the appliance may be creased, or decreased, that theelementary unit block may be of different dimensions than thatspecified, With the multiple unit blocks dimensioned accordingly, andthat there may be other changes, or diversions from the foregoingspecieation Without departing from the spirit of the invention or thescope of the clair-ns.

Having described my invention, what l claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent 1 of an elementary block, and so onl indeli nitely insequence, there beingv a determined number ot like blocks in each groupand the length dimensions of the blocks in cach group being a. multipleot.' the length dime sion oit an elementary block, and series et holdersfor the blocks, said holders being et different lengths corresponding`to the lengths o' the blocks in both the first, and

second series.

2. ln an educa-tional appliance7 series of blocks of uniform igivenniinensious which are used as element? y units, and a series or blockshaving' transverse, dimensions cqual to those ot the elementarf,Y unitsand having` d' erent length dimensiwis oi increasing` sequence multiplesot the length oime-nsion ot an elementar);7 unit block, the secondseries comprising; groups ot different lengths, a determined nuuilrer otblocks beifigv twice the length ot an elementary unit block, adetermined nurfiber being threat-"mes the length et mentary block, andso on indeliuitcly in quence, a determined l ot like blocks i each groupand the length dimensions of the blc he erh 2fnoup a multiple Y tl,dimension citan ele mentary unit of holders Ytor the blocks, scid hoeers beine' et diiiere'it lengths corresponding to the lengths of theblocks in both the first, and second seiles, and a suppoiting;` rackprovided with a s es ot open compartments in which the holders areadapted to slide tor displayinr,T sain holders and the blocks carriedtherein.

in testimony Whereor" l affix my signature.

HELEN l/VOOD.

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